The castle tower

I’ve always wanted to build a castle. But here’s the problem. I build in 1/12 scale, and my workshop is FULL!!! I don’t want to switch scales. So, until now, I have left this castle dream on the shelf. Then I thought,,,why not build up! I decided on a castle turret.
I went to the hardware store and got one of those forms that you use for making a concrete post. They are basically a heavy duty cardboard tube. The one I picked was 8 inches at the base, and came in 8 foot lengths. That way I was only taking up 8 inches of floor space in my studio. I cut the tube in half and now its 8 inches by 4 ft.

I decided to cut a large opening that went two feet up from the bottom, then I turned it around and cut an opening 2 feet from the top, so it kept some of its structural strength.

You would see the dungeon plus 2 other floors of the turret from one side and turn it around to see the top two floors from the other side.

Now the fun begins. This is going to be a long term project. I started collecting egg cartons, as they make amazing stone walls, and are light weight. I made wooden discs that I carved and painted for the different floors of the tower. I also made the stairs out of wood that I carved and painted and built to the curve of the tube.

beginning the stairs

the stairs glued, i then cared out the stones with a dremel, and painted them

I again used a dremel to carve the stones, and painted it to give the desired effet

I drew the pattern, and engraved it with the dremel, again painting it to look llike stone

I decided that for the very top floor, I wanted a different staircase going up to the roof.

I made a spiral staircase by cutting the plastic ends off some dollar store fans, and used dowling between each end to make the staircase. I used another piece of plastic from the fans to create the sides of each stair. It turned out to look quite convincing as a wrought iron staircase.

pieces of plastic fan with the fabric removed, and a piece of dowling glued between each one

at the end after painting the wood, it looked quite real

I found i was allergic to the superglue, so this is me dressed for battle

it was time to work on the walls. I cut pieces of the egg carton into stone shapes, and glued them to the inside of the tube. I then mortared them using a thick medium mixed with acrylic paint, then painted the stone itself to look real. I added some dirt (dried coffee grounds) to some of the cracks, and a bit of moss. I glued the first few floors into place. Also, before I glued the egg carton in, I remembered (thankfully) to cut out of the walls where I was going to place the windows and doors.

I had lots of egg carton bricks to do, but worked on other projects inbetween to protect me from boredom. I cut plexiglass for the windows, and cut stick on fake leaded glass strips in half so they wouldn’t be so thick for a miniature. I then coloured between the lines so to speak with glass paint, to create the leaded glass look. On one window, I found a please of thin metal, already in the right shape, I believe it was intended to be a fairy garden gate, and glued that to the plexiglass and used a clear glass paint between. I took apart a metal picture frame and used the metal from that to create the inner door of the main floor. In the picture below it is not attached and is just sitting there so I could make sure the staircase wasn’t going to block it.

the wrought iron door from the picture frame, leaning in place to leave room for the stairs

the egg carton brick walls and carved wood stairs

one of the windows in place

the dungeon windows in, note the moss and dirt on the walls

another one of the windows

the tube from the outside

the windows from the outside

I wanted a dragon with its hoard to fill the dungeon. This was fun to make, as I’d dreamed of him being in my castle for a long time and would also justify all the bits and baubles I’ve stored away to use ” someday”. I would need them for the dragons hoard.

I made the dragon out of polymer clay, super sculpey. I made a wire frame then used the clay and carved my dragon, finally painting him.

I made a mound of tin foil in the shape of the dungeon and added all my bits and baubles on top to make his treasure. I cut up some tiny plastic skeletons I got at the dollar store on Halloween, (you never know when you’ll need a skeleton in the closet) and stuck a rib cage here, a skull there, a hand bone sticking out, etc etc.

sculpting the head of the dragon

the finished dragon all baked and painted

the dragon on his hoard

in place in the dungeon. He is not attached so I can take him out when i work on other parts

So now I continue the process, putting egg carton stones along the walls, making windows, putting in the next floor.

Making a wire frame for the stone dragon thats part of the castle walls

sculpting the dragon

i built a castle door

Making food for the kitchen

Making and carving the pieces for the throne

A throne for the main floor

the wizards desk

alright, back to the castle walls

I used paper mache to hold the door on, and also for the windows. It took a very long time to dry